


Finally where we should be

by truelovefreak



Category: Gilmore Girls
Genre: F/M, First Love, Future Fic, Post-Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life, Second Chances
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-12 02:40:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28878111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/truelovefreak/pseuds/truelovefreak
Summary: After discovering she is pregnant, Rory moves back to Stars Hollow and has no idea how her life is going to turn out. Struggling with motherhood, she finds herself again dealing with old feelings for a love from the past while she tries to manage things with the father of her baby. The story is set right after the revival "Gilmore Girls - A Year in the Life"
Relationships: Dean Forester/Rory Gilmore, Rory Gilmore/Jess Mariano, Rory Gilmore/Logan Huntzberger
Comments: 25
Kudos: 27





	1. The Prodigal Daughter Returns

Spending hours in the bookshop was always Rory's favorite hobby in Stars Hollows. It even beat coffee at Luke's and that's a tough opponent for a person known for drinking way more caffeine than humanly possible. So, there she was again, one more afternoon, looking for comfort in the middle of the bookshelves in her hometown.

Although the collection avaiable in a small town is not so impressive and full of titles as the great bookstores in New York, where she used to live before moving back with her mom, it was always reassuring to go through the covers and think about the different universes inside.

As a true bookworm, Rory loves classic novels, epic narratives and existentialist biografies. But, lately, she has been looking for a diferent kind of literature. Since she told her mother about the baby three weeks ago, her shopping list was all about pregnancy.

As the fiery-red Autumn leaves coloured the streets of the quirky town along the month of November, Rory bought books about being pregnant, some guides for breastfeeding, handbooks teaching how to take care of newborns and even a copy of _Parenting for Dummies_ \- which was suggested by Lane, her best friend, mother of twins and perfect alibi to avoid the curious eyes of Miss Patty, Babette or any loving citizen of Stars Hollow during her searches in the maternity section of the bookshop.

"The rest of the town will discover eventually, you know?" Lane said, after a long quiet minute gazing at the shelves with Rory by her side.

"Yeah... But I am not ready to handle the whispers and the gossip about my current situation, or the questions about the father of the baby," Rory replied, barely making a sound so no one could hear.

Rory feared, once the news were out, everyone would remember the successful future she planned and give her pitty glances for her failure as a journalist. They thought she was going to conquer the world. Damn it! They organized a freaking going away party for her years ago. Now, she was back with no job, no money and no car.

She also believed in great acomplishments after the graduation in Yale. All seemed to be on track when she left town to cover Barack Obama's presidential campaign for a small website. They loved her work and offered the young journalist a full time position, but Rory declined. It was time to aim bigger. After all, she had an Ivy League diploma on her hands.

But things didn't work out as Rory imagined. She wrote some stories for established publications now and then. The last one for The New Yorker surely made her mom, her grandmother and especially Luke proud.

However, it was not enough to open the doors to big newspapers and finally ensure a steady job with a regular paycheck. On the other hand, she never truly considered looking for a position in smaller newsrooms. She had the right to be picky, right? She was a Gilmore, destined only to greatness. Her grandparents always said so.

"Are you having second thoughts?" Lane asked, staring at Rory's troubled face.

"Not at all. It's scary for sure and different from everything I planned for my life... But the moment I find out... I don't know. It seems something started to change. I spent the last years kind of lost, drifting until my big shot happen. I think I was absorbed in that fantasy world of the Life and Death Brigade. Suddenly, I realized it was time to grow up." Rory sighed, taking in the words.

"Then, welcome back to the real world!"

Lane gave Rory a warm hug and they both laughed, but Rory couldn't stop thinking that Lane didn't even say she was wrong about the last years of her life...

Rory pushed the thought away while Lane purchased a new edition about child development and left the store carrying the book. As she followed her friend home, another fear sillently began to spread in Rory's mind: would people compare her to Lorelai? Both single mothers, afraid of settling down and with a roller coaster love life.

Stars Hollow witnessed as her mother stumbled from one boyfriend to another until finally admitting feelings for Luke, although it took plus 10 years for them actually go down the aisle. The town probably would now expect the same drama from Rory. As the old saying goes, an apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

But this Lorelai doesn't have a Luke. Not anymore. She once had someone like him, someone she could trust to be there, no mather what. But she broke his heart too many times. And now it was too late for another chance.

The sound of Lane screaming with the kids pulled Rory back from her thoughts before she went down a path full of hard memories and regrets. There was no time now to wallow. A baby would be in her arms in a few months and she had almost zero experience with children.

That's why she offered to babysit for Lane one night per week until she was too pregnant to do anything. It was a win-win situation: Rory, as a good student, would have the opportunity to practice and learn a little about dealing with children, while her friend gets some time off to enjoy a romantic night out with Zack.

Tonight is going to be the her first time alone with the boys. Rory was trying to keep a brave face, but she was really nervous to see if things would work out.

Different from many teenage girls, Rory never babysat to earn some cash when she was younger. Thinking about it, she never had a summer job or had to work at all for money. She dedicated her time for studies, getting into college and then graduating. Her mom, her father, her grandparents and even Logan at some point took care of the bills. That was the first time she realized how privileged she was. Could it be the reason she struggled so much as a young woman in the real world?

Marty, the guy who had a crush on her back in the early years of Yale, had to bust his ass off working between classes to afford an Ivy League education. Maybe she could have learned something from him if she made different choices in the past.

Rory got lost in her thoughts and didn't realize almost one hour passed by. Meanwhile, Lane had already showered and was all dressed up in front of her.

"Rory, we are leaving. We'll be home by ten. Call me if you need help. I even wrote down Zack's number and the restaurant's phone in case of emergency." Lane said in a panicked voice, passing a piece of paper to her friend.

" Okay, you have..."

Before Rory could finish the sentence, Lane interrupted her rambling a series of instructions in case of misbehavior.

"If they don't listen to you just turn off the TV and disconnect the videogame. I can show you where to cut off the power of the house if necessary. There are candles under the sink..."

Rory cut in to calm her friend. "Lane! Everything is going to be fine. Just go and have fun. You and Zack look like a couple of rock stars."

"Which one?" Zack spoke for the first time, waiting the answer in a bit agony. "Please, don't say Sharon and Ozzy Osborne!"

"I was going for something like Courtney Love slash Kurt Cobain or Patti and Fred Smith," Rory quickly added, expecting it was the answer he was looking for.

"A little tragic, but cool!" Zack smiled. "See, babe. We still rock!" He said with enthusiam, embracing Lane and leaving the house.

Only one minute had passed since Lance and Zack left the house when two energetic 10-year-olds rushed into the living room screaming and fighting about some game or cartoon character Rory has never heard about.

"It's my turn now to play Groot!" Both yelled, pushing each other.

In shock, Rory frowned and murmured to herself. "Oh, boy! This going to be a long night."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm trying to show more about Rory's life in Stars Hollow after she discovered the pregnancy. I divide the story in 40 chapters. So, there's still a lot to happen. Tell me what you think of the beginning.


	2. A new mother in training

Surprinsingly, the night at Lane's went off without a hitch. Rory was not proud of using pop-tarts as bribery to get the twins attention and stop the fight, but, once the screaming was over, things just started to flow naturally.

Even though Rory was a 33-year-old woman, she had a life experience of silly movies, fun games and junk food - the perks of being Lorelai Gilmore's daughter. So it was not hard to bond with Kwan and Steve over a superhero movie and a giant bowl of popcorn.

After an excited discussion about the importance of post-credits scenes on Marvel pictures, the boys got ready to go to bed. They were already asleep when Lane and Zack returned, a little more drunk than they would ever admit.

As the couple barged in the house kissing and giggling, Rory knew it was her cue to leave. It was good to see Lane happy and she didn't want to kill the mood. So she quietly got off the couch, snatched the book they bought earlier and reached the front door unnoticed, without saying goodbye.

Outside, it was a cozy night in Stars Hollow. The streets were already silent and the weather was perfect for a lazy walk. Rory decided to enjoy the occasion and took the long way back home, eager for some time alone to unwind.

As she passed by the town square and the gazebo, Rory remembered how scared she was about the pregnancy at first, not sure about being 'mother material'. All her life has always been career-oriented and she feared to be one of those harsh women who push children away, like her ex-stepmother Sherry did with her half sister Gigi.

But these feelings began to fade away after tonight. Of course Rory is not expecting to be elected 'Mommy of the year' only because she babysat a couple of hours. Still, it was nice to see she could connect with children, not just freeze or be annoyed in the presence of infants. That was definitely a good start.

Smiling at this little achievement, Rory crossed the final distance to her house and walked up the porch stairs. From the window, it was possible to see it was pitch-dark inside. _Mom and Luke are probably already sleeping by now_ , she thought and tried to make less noise as possible to open the door without disturbing anyone.

Expecting a deadly silent welcome inside the house, Rory startled when Lorelai's voice came out of nowhere in a warning, followed by the sound of footsteps rushing downstairs.

"Don't go into your room!" Her mother shouted, suddenly turning on the lights.

"Jesus! Is this some kind of police operation? Are you going to arrest me now?" Rory gasped, with her heart pounding in her chest.

"Why? Did you steal another boat?" Lorelai teased with a mischievous smile on her face. "I was really hoping to keep you out of prison from now on, hon. But if you do the crime, you've got to pay the time. And I learned from the last Law & Order episodes it's better to cooperate if the cops ask for my help."

Rory gave her mom a cheerful fake laugh, happy they now could joke about that shameful moment of youth rebellion. "You're so funny. I think you should create a Youtube channel, go viral on the internet and win tons of money with your natural talent for comedy. You'd probably be one of the guests on The Ellen Degeneres show by now."

"Then I would have no more privacy. You know I don't exercise enough to run from the paparazzi," Lorelai replied with a clever grin. How her mother always could find a good comeback from any conversation amused Rory since she was a little girl. But, right now, she had no more willpower to continue the battle.

"Good night, mom!" Rory said, ignoring while Lorelai opened her mouth to speak again. "I'll tell you all about my babysitting debut tomorrow," she continued, heading to her room.

"Well, I tried to warn you," Lorelai blurted in a muffled voice.

Rory stopped at the doorway in shock, after she turned on the switch. The light revealed a room full of boxes with pictures of chubby babies on them. Only her bed was free of stuff. The rest of the place was taken by tons of diapers, all kinds of toys, baby clothes, bottles, breast pumps, a huge crib, a fancy stroller and other maternity equipment she didn't even know how to use.

"That's what I was trying to tell you. Luke discovered online shopping," Lorelai chuckled. "He's super excited about the whole stepgrandpa thing. So he bought all he could think for you and the baby." She added, looking touched by his gesture.

"Luke's going to put pictures of the baby on the menu, isn't he? Just like he did with The New Yorker piece," Rory whined.

"He'd put a photo of you giving birth too. But don't worry! Mommy's got you covered," Lorelai winked her daughter.

Rory sighed. "It's like Babies R Us opened a new store in here. Some stuff I don't think we are going to need anytime soon," She murmured, staring at a toilet training seat on the top of what used to be her desk.

"Incredible what the man was able to do with a good Wi-fi reception and a credit card," her mother nodded.

"Why didn't you stop him? It must have cost a fortune. I know I'm practically broke and don't have a job, but it's too much," Rory said, feeling a bit guilty. Lorelai and Luke were talking about having a kid when she moved back to Stars Hollow. But they've dropped the subject since she told about her unexpected pregnancy.

"He did behind my back! I was surprised by the giant delivery truck parked on the driveway when I came home. If I knew Luke was in some kind of Becky Bloom shopping frenzy, I'd have tried to seduce him to buy me some new shoes or that nice skirt I have my eyes on."

"That cute one with stripes, right?" They paused for a moment and looked at each other.

"Yeah! There's a top still single in my closet waiting for her," Lorelai smiled with the sign of approval on Rory's face.

After a few seconds wandering about fashion, the room crammed with baby stuff finally draw their attention back. There was no way to organize everything now, even if they stayed up all night.

Hopeless, Rory pressed her hand against her forehead and groaned. "It's really sweet and I'll make sure to thank Luke for this. But I need my room back. In this mess, I can't even find my laptop. And I have a book to write. I was hoping to finish a few more chapters today. I need to have the first draft ready before the baby arrives. Because I don't think I'll be able to concentrate much with a newborn to handle."

"Hey, calm down. I'll help you sort things out and organize. We can return some of the stuff or make a giant baby garage sale," Lorelai suggested.

"Don't even joke about it," Rory grumbled.

"Hon, in a few months... Even if you use only oversized clothes - which are strangely back in fashion nowadays - people are going to notice you are pregnant."

"I'm just not ready yet for everyone to know. Once it's public. It's real."

Lorelai gave Rory a tight hug and rubbed her shoulders. "It already is. Since the moment you decided to have this baby."

Rory hesitated, holding back the tears. "I never thought I would do this alone." As much as she didn't want to, her mind brought back a memory of someone who would be the best partner down this road. They even played house once and she wore a Donna Read dress to make fun of him. Happy old days, lost somewhere in the past. She wondered once again if only they had met later in life... Or could have another chance now. But it was too late. Because he already has his own family.

While Rory was breathing slowly to get herself together, Lorelai reassured her. "Kid, you are not alone." She spotted another book about babies on her hands and then continued. "You know you can ask me anything about the whole pregnancy, the changes on your body, contractions, giving birth or whatever. You don't need to pull a Luke and buy all the books on the subject."

"I intend to hold you to that offer. But, for now, the books maintain everything technical and a little distant. It's what I need at the moment. The mother idea is still sinking in."

"Take your time, young Skywalker. But just believe me: no matter how complicated it may seem, everything will be okay. I'm saying this from my own experience. I was a teenage mother and my daughter turned out just fine." Rory started to open a smile and Lorelai couldn't resist the punch line "... except for the fact she is an ex-con and dropped out of college for a few months!"

"You are the worst, you know!" Rory exhaled with relief, feeling more secure after she remembered her mistakes and how Lorelai forgave and helped her get back on track.

"Well, you are lucky I was really mad when I bailed you out of jail back then. If it wasn't for the short-circuit in this devious brain of mine, I would have tons of T-shirts with your mugshot to torture you FOREVER." Lorelai teased and planted a kiss on her daughter's hair. "Goodnight," she said before making her way back upstairs.

Alone again, Rory admitted defeat for the day and dodged the piles of boxes to get her pajamas in the dresser. On her way to the bathroom, she thought how moving around would be way more difficult in a few months and pictured herself with a full size pregnant belly. The image made her laugh while she took off the clothes and got in the shower. As the warm water ran down her body, Rory took a deep breath and placed her hands on her stomach for the first time.

"Hi, baby girl..." Rory whispered, wishfully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter showing a little more about what's going on with Rory since she discovered the pregnancy. I was also going to explore more of the town characters, but the text was already to long. So prepare to a big scandal in Stars Hollow next week! Tell me what you think of the history so far


	3. Going Public

After a tedious weekend going through the boxes of baby merchandise, Rory's room was still completely packed, but at least now there was a sense of organization in the mess. It was even possible again to have a glance at the garden outside from the small window near her bed. Not that Rory was going to enjoy the view. She got a little paranoid that someone was snooping around the other night and decided to keep the curtains closed for good.

Shielded within the comforting four walls of her mother's house, Rory followed Lorelai's instructions to sort the boxes in three piles: the diapers, some baby clothes, a stroller, a car seat, a bath and all the stuff that was going to be useful immediately after the baby was born went to the 'stay' pile, perfectly arranged next to the crib in the corner of the room; the playard, a walker and other things that would be handy within the first year were put in the 'storage' pile and would be later removed to the garage; on the other hand, the 'to go' pile was made of many bottles of baby shampoo which would expire before they could be used, a tricycle and also an excessive amount of singlets and shoes that would never be worn because the newborn would quickly grow out of them. Lorelai struggled not to classify a ball pit and a slide shaped as a unicorn in this last pile, but after a long debate about the lack of space in the house, she finally gave in.

Rory had already asked Luke to move some boxes to the garage tonight and he agreed to do it after it was dark. So there would be no risk of questions about the baby stuff from her friendly - yet nosy - neighborhood. He left for work while she was sipping her single dose of coffee for the day. Only a small cup was allowed because of the baby. That's why the mom-to-be was really taking some time to savour it.

In the meantime, Rory really tried, still she couldn't remember anything else to do after her breakfast. Then, she decided to kill the free time of whatever day it was to go online and start returning the extra gifts piled in her room. Maybe by the end of the week there would be some free space back there and she could concentrate again on finishing the first draft of the book.

A driven Rory grabbed the laptop, laid on the bed and began to read the return policy of Baby R US online shop. She hadn't even finished submitting half of the requests for refunds when she fell asleep. It was not her fault though. For the last couple of weeks, she was feeling completely exhausted. It was not due to the lack of coffee, or because she started a exercise routine to watch her weight. It was just one of the misfortunes in the first trimester of the pregnancy. Basically, mommy's body can never say 'no' to a nap.

Although there was so much to do, Rory skipped lunch and slept through the rest of the day. No point trying to fight the changing hormones inside her body. Everything was already dark outside, when she opened her eyes. Still feeling a little lazy, she stretched her arms and took a look at the clock. It was almost 7 PM.

 _Well done, Rory. One more day with not much done_ , she thought while trying to recover her senses and bring to mind what day it was today.

Rory suddenly jumped from the bed when she realized it was December 1st. Honestly, she lost track of the calendar because her head was still spiraling since her life went upside down... and December 1st wasn't exactly a special occasion, except she had a deadline. With Taylor Doose from all people. How could she miss something like that? She promised to publish early the first issue of Stars Hollow Gazette this month because he wanted to announce all the events that would take place in town until the Holydays.

The list included a tree decoration contest, a carolee choir presentation, a 24 hour live Nativity scene at the gazebo and even a surprise event to celebrate New Year's Eve - which Taylor was bragging to be something bigger than the drop of the ball in Times Square. Rory really tried a scoop about it for the paper, but the man was impossible to crack.

No one would expect less of Stars Hollow. There was literally something scheduled for every weekend of the month, starting this Friday with Miss Patty's Nutcracker ballet. Actually, the show was supposed to be front-page news as a charming prelude of winter's arrival in town. That's why Rory ordered the entire team to submit the articles and everything else a week earlier. This way she would have time to finish the layout, send the new edition to print on December 1st and guarantee all the papers were delivered on time, at least two days before the presentation. The only problem: it totally slipped her mind until minutes ago.

Rory pulled her hair into a ponytail and rushed out the house straight to Stars Hollow Gazette's building. Hoping all the material were on her desk as promised, she grabbed her phone and called the printing-office to assure the new edition would be ready and sent by email later tonight. It was really difficult to sound calm and professional while running down the street to get to the newsroom, but somehow she did it and bought some time to finish work.

Gladly, Rory was the only one who forgot about the deadline. All the local news, interviews and the special feature were duly delivered by the Gazette's writing team. As usual, she found a printed copy and a floppy disk labeled with the name of the author. Old fashion? Yeah. But right now she was in no position to complain.

On her desk, the Gazette's secretary also left a note to inform the commercial ads were all renovated and already on page. So, she only needed to check the spelling of the articles, define the headlines, adjust the layout with photos and finish the first page. It wasn't exactly a piece of cake, but the deadline was still doable. That was a relief.

It was past 10 pm when Rory gave a final check on the Gazette's new edition. The guy from the printing-office already called twice now to remember he would only wait more 30 minutes for the file. Even though the work was done in a hurry, the first page ended up as a perfect tribute to the magic of Stars Hollow. Sometimes Rory imagined her hometown was not real and only existed within a tiny snow globe in a different universe.

Smiling at this idea, the young journalist continued skimming the paper to correct any major mistake before releasing the final copy to print. She almost thought everything was okay, but she got to the back cover and realized a huge blank quarter. Last week that space was filled with discount coupons for the movie theatre. What the hell happened?

Panicked by the clock ticking, Rory looked down and saw one more floppy disk dropped on the floor with a pink post-it on. Almost out of time, she grabbed it. The note reminded her that she agreed to publish in the Gazette a column written by some girls from the senior class of Stars Hollow High. Apparently, they discovered the old version of Gossip Girl on Netflix and wanted to bring some of the twist to the small town. That's why there was a huge blank space on the last page.

As she inserted the disk on the drive, Rory read the message on the post-it. It was a note from the English teacher explaining the text was already checked and ready to print. So, she could just copy and paste the column to fill the last blank space in the way of the first December edition of the Gazette. If it were a true job, Rory would never publish something without giving it an overview. But how bad could this high school project be, right?

Anyway, Rory had only five minutes left to send the final cut to print. Tired from the stress of the night, starving and wishing for a warm bath, she selected the text, pressed CRTL C + CRTL V and adjusted the layout on page. The file had already been sent when the phone rang again and the printing guy confirmed he received the email at the last minute. Despite the delay, he assured the new edition of the Gazette would be tomorrow morning in Taylor's hands - who arranged himself a team to go door to door and deliver the newspaper to every citizen of Stars Hollow.

Satisfied, Rory turned out the lights of the small newsroom and locked it up to go home. She passed in front of Luke's hoping to ensure a decent meal to ease her pregnant empty stomach. The CLOSED sign was already on the door, but it has never stopped both Gilmore Girls to get in and order something if he was still inside cleaning the tables. And that was exactly the case.

Luke heard the door open and he was ready to shout something harsh at the intruder, but he immediately stopped when he saw Rory.

"You know, I read on Yelp! the food here is great and the service is the best. I was in the area. So I decided to check it out," Rory put her most innocent face on and smiled.

"You two are unbelievable," Luke chuckled with his typical grumpiness. "What can I get for you? Just don't insist: no more coffee for today"

Rory planned to use the hungry pregnant card with him, but it was not necessary. Once she asked for her favorites on the menu, Luke went to the kitchen and made everything fresh for her. That man really loved her as a daughter. It's true now and then he was a little overprotective, yet it was nice to know there's someone willing to take care of you like that.

Walking home with a hot burger and chilli fries in the bag, Rory imagined if the baby would have someone like Luke to lean on too. As much as she loved her dad Christopher, he never cared enough to be around. And it's not like she expected him to move to Stars Hollow. Just would be nice if he showed up once a month to see her, or if he called more when she was younger. But that didn't happen in the past because he was always after some big opportunity. Then, years later, he gave in and accepted his hole in the Hayden's family business. Nevertheless, nothing changed in their distant relationship.

Back in the warmth of her house, Rory took off her shoes and focused on enjoying her delicious big dinner in front of the TV. Lorelai had an emergency and was working late at the Dragonfly. So, all there was left for the night was watching a classic show from the 90's to chase away those bad feelings. Finally she let go all the worries for a while and fell asleep on the couch.

Rory had slept for hours, but it felt she lay down only for a few minutes when she woke up with her phone ringing insistently at 9 in the morning. She looked at the ID caller and saw it was Lane. As she answered the call, an agitated Lorelai entered the front door with a copy of Stars Hollow Gazette in hands. It seemed everything was alright, despite her screw up yesterday.

"Hey! What's up with the early phone call? You know I've never been a morning person and..."

A worried Lane interrupted her. "It's an emergency. Did you read the Gazette today?"

"No, but I saw it yesterday and it was fine," Rory retorted, not sure where this conversation was going.

"All of it? Even the last page and that gossip column?"

Guilty, Rory felt a twinge in the pit of her stomach. The look in Lorelai's face, now sitting by her side on the couch, didn't help much. Somehow she wasn't sure if she really wanted to know what was all that fuss about. Anyhow, her mother handed her the newspaper and just stood there, waiting for Rory's reaction.

"What can be so bad?" She talked to Lane on the phone while scanning the words on the last page of the Gazette. "Oh, crap!"

Rory hung up the phone, shaken, finally catching up with the concern on Lane's voice. The secret she was trying so hard to keep was out there in the open, in printed word, among a lot of high school gossip:

"Rumor has it one of the most beloved Stars Hollow's family had a visit from the stork. A shipment of Babies R Us was seen at Gilmore's/Dane's residence, leaving us to solve the mystery about the identity of the future mother-to-be. Many boxes could be found stored in the old room of a 30-year-something town prodigy who has just moved back from New York, but the name of a very grumpy diner owner is the one addressed on the labels. Witch Lorelai do you think is going to pop in a few months, shiny stars?!"

Definitely, that important lesson in Journalism about never publishing without reading also applied to small newspapers in quirky little towns like Stars Hollow. As a Yale grad, Rory should have known better. On the bright side, at least, she wasn't paranoid. She got one thing right: someone really was snooping outside her window the other night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: What a rookie mistake, huh? Before the revival, I'd never believe Rory could do something like this. But then she slept during an interview... This is just the beggining of one of those typical crazy days in Stars Hollow that we all love. Tell me what you think about it!


	4. The talk of the town

"No, no, no, no... It's worse than when I didn't publish the spring poem on the cover," Rory said, pacing in the living room and holding her head on her hands.

"I can say it's mine. It will create a diversion and cover you for a while," Lorelai raised her eyebrows. "I already put on a couple pounds. So everyone is going to buy it. Bonus, I can eat all I want without any judgement or body shaming." She smirked and started moving towards the window, after glimpsing a movement outside on their front lawn. Of course, Babette was going to be the first one to reach the house.

"Mom..." Rory protested.

Lorelai continued the mockery to distract her. "But I think Luke has to go. He is gonna break, man. The second people say the word 'baby'. Under all that flanel, he is a softie." Sneakily, she checked all the windows downstairs and drew the curtains. "So I say we kill him and bury in the backyard to go on with our plan. We'll have to find another place to eat, but that's what google is for, ha!" She said on her way back from the kitchen, after making sure the back door was locked before Babbete could get there.

Usually, Lorelai and Rory always left the house unlocked in Stars Hollow. It was a safe place to live. The crime rate was below zero, as Taylor always praised in town meetings. The only thing to worry about was one of the peculiar townspeople entering unannounced. Today, however, that was exactly what they wanted to prevent.

"How long?" Rory suddenly asked.

"To go full Criminal Minds and murder Luke?"

"No! For the welcoming people of our friendly town get here," Rory snorted. "Although, I might add, I'm feeling a bit concerned about your recent obsession with crime shows."

"Hey, that's all on Luke. It's the only thing the man agrees to watch without a fight. And it's not like I had you here these last years to outnumber him!" Lorelai widened her eyes and tightened her body, stunned by the sight, through the curtains, of more shadows gathering outside. Miss Patty and Kirk had already joined Babette and Morey in the prying inspection of the Gilmore house. A noise revealed one of them attempting to open the back door.

"Did you hear that?" Rory left her miserable state and was ready to investigate.

"I'm sure it's just Paul Anka" Lorelai waved, trying not to freak out Rory. Then, she grabbed the girl's shoulders and slightly pushed her in the direction of the stairs. She instinctively lowered her voice to keep it casual and smoothly get them far from the commotion on the other side of the front door. "Why don't we continue this conversation upstairs, huh? We can have facials and enjoy that fancy big bathroom Luke got mommy to make up for his terrible taste in TV shows. It's the perfect way to relax after this stressful morning."

A little reluctant, Rory followed her lead. "But don't you have to go back to wor..."

The doorbell interrupted the rest of the sentence, announcing the unwanted visitors. Rory looked at Lorelai completely frightened and just obeyed as her mother gestured some kind of crazy military secret operation command to keep moving upstairs.

From her bedroom window, Lorelai saw when Taylor and even Gipsy arrived, joining the group. All of them just walking around the house and looking for any clues about the new gossip of the town. Or waiting for an opportunity to corner one the residents and get the facts straight from the source. She kept it cool and shut the curtains fast, turning to Rory.

"Well, How about I take a day off and we start a "knocked up movie marathon"? I think the classic from the 80's, Look Who's Talking, is the best choice, given your situation. It provides a clear image of the moment of conception - not that you need more information," She scoffed. "Plus, we can hear the voice of Bruce Willis as a spermatozoid slash baby and there is a lot of young John Travolta before Hairspray to ease the eye. I just need to call the Inn and..."

"You can go. It's fine." Rory finally spoke, powerless.

"Are you sure? There are two crazy sequels of this movie and even a TV show with two entire seasons. We"ll have enough material to talk about until it's time you enter the delivery room cursing," Lorelai tried once more to lighten the mood.

"I'm a big girl. In about six months, I'll be responsible for a helpless and tiny human being. I can handle the Stars Hollow's mob. It' not like they have torches and pitchforks. So all I need is to lay low and they will leave eventually..." Rory flinched. "Right?!"

"Definitely!" Lorelai reassured with a forced smile, trying to maintain a confident face while a bunch of pink and blue ribbon bows crossed her mind. She remembered the break-up with Luke a long time ago. The whole town ran mad picking sides to support. There was even a plan to divide the territory like Germany during the World War.

Granting Rory's wish, Lorelai arranged everything her daughter would need to isolate in a fortress of solitude and then got ready to leave the house. She stopped for a minute in the living room, fixed her outfit, put her sunglasses on and opened the door to face the agitated crowd of Stars Hollow standing on the porch.

Of course, she wasn't going to miss the opportunity to pretend to be a supermodel, rushing to the car, covering her face and screaming "No comments" as people asked questions. There was no need to be normal in a town maddened by a pregnancy rumor.

Surrounded by all kinds of junk food, some books and her laptop, Rory decided to get back to the task of returning the extra items stored in her room. She turned on the computer with a mission, but was quickly distracted by a notification on the corner of the screen saying 'Kirk is live on Facebook'.

Rory accepted his friend request on social media years ago, back when she was living in New York. She thought it would be a good way to have a small piece of Stars Hollow while she waited for her big break in the city. It was a decision she never regretted because everyday Kirk used to post a picture of a typical scene of her hometown. Sometimes a heated fight between Luke and Taylor in the middle of the street, or a bored crowd pretending to listen in the last town meeting. Just a simple photo and an enigmatic caption - which Rory would read again and again during the lonely nights in her Brooklyn apartment. It became a personal game to discover who was behind the phrase of the day. In general, she spent hours trying to figure it out, except in the few times the author was Lorelai or Luke. They were easy to guess, leaving her with spare time to look at the empty room and wonder about someone she missed in secret every now and then.

Almost five years. That's how long Rory has been following Kirk on social media and he never broadcasted something live before. Until today. Obviously, he found a subject worthy of the effort. Instigated by a journalistic curiosity, Rory clicked on the screen alert just in time to watch her mother on her best celebrity act running from paparazzi.

Afterwards, Taylor gave an interview to explain it was necessary to know which Lorelai had a bun in the oven because the town counsel wanted to decide who would play Mary in the Nativity scene this Christmas. The man seemed so heartfelt it almost convinced Rory. Almost!

 _There is no way things could get worse_ , Rory thought for a moment. But then Kirk started an online pool for people to vote and guess who was the new pregnant Gilmore girl. Somehow, there was even money involved in the whole thing. Most bets were on Lorelai, but Rory wasn't so far behind in the race.

It was unbelievable what Kirk could do with technology in his hands. The man has always been some kind of lunatic visionary. Once he tried to sell T-shirts stamped with town gossip. It didn't work. But now he had the resources to do way more and still make some extra cash on her expense.

"I'm going to demand a cut of everything you get, pal!" Rory raged to herself as she put the laptop and the phone on airplane mode to disconnect from the internet news. Discouraged to go online, she picked her favorite playlist and focused on writing at least one more chapter of the book. Her brain was sharp today and ideas were flying on the page. She finished almost three new chapters and entered the phase of her teenage years.

How Lorelai handled the first talk about puberty and hormones and the embarrassment of buying her first bra were already on paper. Soon, it would be time for the adventures of her first kiss, love and... Dean Forester. The one who fought so hard for her and yet seemed so scared of what she would say about him in the book. She put the laptop down and couldn't help but remember their abrupt encounter at Doose's market, after so many years.

Rory felt really bad when she realized how Dean was surprised to listen to her confessions about him. Apparently, he never knew any of that. Looking back, a sudden guilt took over her as she admitted that reaction was mostly because of her actions in the past. She took him for granted and let him believe he wasn't good enough. Now it was too late to do things better. Someone else had appreciated his love first.

"Roooooryyyy!" Lorelai's calling tune brought the writer back to reality. She got so caught up with work - and her own thoughts - that she didn't see time passing by. It was already 6 pm. Her mother came back from Dragonfly carrying food and good news about the world outside.

Lorelai reported that the cold weather of December dismissed almost every curious citizen from their house. Kirk was the only one still remaining. "He is live on Facebook and on Instagram to break the news directly from our porch. He says he has an obligation to update his followers everything about the, I quote, Pregnancy Scandal"

"Well, that's probably why people left. There's no point to stand in the cold at night if you can watch it in the comfort of your home, wearing pajamas, under a blanket. With such a high audience rate, Kirk will have a list of paying advertisers by tomorrow for the next broadcast," Rory replied, a little amused by the business prospect.

"We do have to take a bow for Kirk's entrepreneurship," Lorelai confirmed. "Now that we have our privacy back, or almost, how about we eat dinner on the couch before Luke gets home?"

They both headed downstairs to organize a food festival in front of the TV. The girls agreed on the movie choice for the night and set the plates on the living room coffee table. Lorelai waited until Rory sat down on the couch with a giant portion of macaroni & cheese to move on with the conversation.

"So, how is it going with the book?"

"Today was a good day! I think Norman Mailer's spirit took over my body or something. I didn't even stop for a nap." Rory replied, happy to see her mother was truly on board with the book project.

"WOW! So I address myself to Mr. Mailer or Ms. Gilmore right now?"

"You can talk with Rory now. But tomorrow I may try to invoke Joseph Mitchel to keep the good work going"

"And how far are you in the storyline?"

"Sweet 16," Rory answered, revealing a distraught face.

"Oh! Fun!" Lorelai studied her expression and continued. "Why do I feel a grey cloud over your head?"

"You know... looking back, you remember the good memories, but you also revisit all the mistakes along the way... And it's hard to see things you wish you done differently. This is the worst part of non-fiction: you've got to face the facts"

"Sorry, hon. That's life. We all screw up from time to time..." Lorelai paused for a short breath. "...And we hurt people in the process. But you can try to understand the mistakes you made in the past and not repeat them in the future. Like a warning from young Rory to ol..." Her daughter gave her an annoyed look. "... to Rory of the future."

"I've got to pay for it this time, huh?" Rory blurted.

"Sorry... What? I think I miss the first part of the conversation going on inside your head."

"Nothing. Just a piece of advice someone gave me," Rory mumbled, still ruminating Dean's words months ago.

"Okay... As I was saying. For example, last time I was upset with my life, I gave Luke an ultimatum, rushed and went to bed with your father, married your father and then got a divorce in less than one year. This time around I got unsettled about my life, but I didn't call Christopher. Because 2006 Lorelai warned me that it was not the best way to deal with the situation."

"Yeah! You went all Reese Witherspoon and tried to go Wild walking the Pacific Crest Trail alone. Not the best option for a woman three months pregnant."

"Hey, hey. No Reese. I am a Wild purist." Lorelai looked insulted at her daughter and continued. "I hang out with the book crew, young lady! This is why I found my own path without hiking. I got my answers in a quest for coffee. My true essence, young Skywalker." She placed one hand on her chest and smiled at Rory.

The mother-daughter moment was abruptly interrupted by Luke barging in the house.

"I can't believe this. You have 10 seconds to hit the road Kirk or I swear to God." The man shouted, in his worst mood, without even acknowledging Lorelai and Rory sitting on the couch.

The Gilmore girls looked at each other in excitement, completely lured by the chance to watch a demonstration of Stars Hollow's finest hustle.

"Ten, nine... I'm not kidding, Kirk!" Luke grabbed a bucket and started filling it with ice and cold water. "Eight, seven, six," he continued counting towards the front door. Both Lorelai and Rory giggling on his heels. "Three, two, one. Last warning!"

Luke openned the door and then splashed the cold water and threw the bucket on Kirk, yelling. "Get a life!"

Howling and shivering, Kirk finally abandoned his watch on the porch and ran away from the Gilmore house.

"Oh! You are our hero!" Both Lorelai and Rory delivered their best girly voices and goofy eyes to the tough guy.

Luke grunted, as usual, uncomfortable by the silly 'thank you' act. "I've gotta go back to the diner."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is a little scary to think what Kirk can do with technology on his hands, huh? It was difficult to imagine something different in this chapter. It seems every weird thing already happened in Stars Hollow before hahahah 
> 
> What do you think about the first reaction of the town?


	5. I'm back

After Luke chased Kirk away no one came back the next day to poke around the Gilmore house. Kirk went live one more time though, but from the town square, explaining to his followers how outrageous he was by the treatment the press gets from 'The Powerful Families in Stars Hollow'.

Despite the hate message implied, Rory had fun watching this one. Especially when Luke appeared on screen at the end of the video and Kirk shrieked like a helpless girl, running without clear direction to escape Luke's loud and threatening swearings.

But the lack of an audience outside the Gilmore's door didn't mean the circus left the town. Rory knew a simple milk run to Doose's or the diner would be enough to be again under the public eye and overwhelmed with a lot of questions she wasn't ready to answer yet. So she decided to play dead and didn't leave the house for two days straight.

As the internet was now safe again and free from Kirk's interference, Rory managed to fill in all the requests for refunds on Baby R Us website and organize all the items to be returned by mail as instructed. One thing out of her to do list. As soon as Luke took away the extra boxes of her room, she immediately settled her laptop back on the desk and concentrated once again in the next chapter of her book.

All the recent commotion about the baby sent Rory back to how uncomfortable she felt at 16 years old by the attention her relationships got from Stars Hollow. However, as a grown up, she was able to see they didn't mean any harm. After the first painful break-up, Miss Patty just wanted a chance to give her a comfort hug. Babbete only tried to share some experience about man. And Kirk, well, Kirk was Kirk, but he was simply telling he was sorry. Yes, it was truly annoying. Still, it was merely their way of showing they cared.

Then, for the first time, Rory wondered if she wasn't overreacting a little bit about keeping the pregnancy in secrecy. It was already real and the bump would start to show in a short time. After all, she had decided to have the baby and she wasn't changing her mind.

Rory came to understand that trying to hide the situation was exactly what set Stars Hollow on fire. So, she figured out it was time to come clean and restore the peace. She only needed the perfect opportunity to gather everyone and deliver the news at once.

For a second, Rory considered publishing a full disclosure in the Gazette or making the announcement with a megaphone in town square. Both really practical ideas, but she would sound megalomaniac or just completely crazy - even for Stars Hollow's standards. She was still thinking of a better way to get the word out when an event alert popped up on her computer screen to remember a town meeting tonight. It was definitely the best chance to find everybody in the same place, at the same time. Except for Luke, but the baby was old news for him.

There was not much time left to get the plan on the move. So, Rory called Lorelai to guarantee her mother would be there, on time, for moral support. Then, she changed to her lucky outfit, arranged her hair, looked at herself in the mirror one last time for reassurance and left the house towards the meeting.

Rory imagined she was going to lose the nerve and call the whole thing off before she reached Miss Patty's studio, where the meetings took place at least once a month since she could remember. However, it seemed like she was wrong. Rory pushed the sliding door and found Taylor alone inside. He was now alarmed by the entrance of the young Gilmore. Probably, because it was the first time ever one of them got early to a meeting.

"Is there anything I can do to help you, young lady?" Taylor said, without taking his eyes off some papers in his hands.

"I'd like to have a word during today's meeting."

"Well, then you should have submitted a formal request within 48 hours in advance like everybody else. This is not New York City. We have rules here. Or do you think I'll give you special treatment?" He answered, finally looking up to face Rory. Of course the man was going to be difficult.

"Please, Taylor, it is really important," Rory begged.

"Could you tell me the subject matter of this unexpected request?" He inquired, narrowing his eyes.

"No," Rory replied in defense, crossing her arms on her chest, "I think it is better to address everyone at once."

"Then, the answer is still NO." Taylor fired back and looked down again to the papers in his hands.

Apparently, Rory didn't think things through. Again. It was funny because this sentence could resume a lot of her life choices lately. Why else would she have a one-night stand with a man dressed in a wookie costume or show up unprepared to a job interview? These questions have been stuck on her mind since she was obligated to take a step back on her plans for the future. And living again in Stars Hollow, well, it was difficult not to think of what happened with the girl she used to be: responsible, hardworking and a little control freak. She has been reckless and entitled for so long that it seemed like a part of herself - a very important one - was completely lost along the way. The fact Taylor called her out about this was even more depressing.

Instead of just quitting and blaming Taylor the rest of the night, Rory came up with a new plan. One that demanded more patience and a good strategy. If she won't have a minute to speak during the meeting, all she has to do is wait until the end to get people's attention. She once spoke up and made the whole town listen to her, back when she was only a shy teenage girl. She had the skills and the courage to do it one more time.

In silence, Rory sat strategically next to the door, thinking it would be easier to stand up and stop everyone from leaving at the end of the meeting. She observed people arriving and taking their seats while Taylor organised the cards with topics to be discussed tonight. At least, there were not many. A small victory for the day.

The room was already full, when Lorelai joined her daughter. "Better late than never, huh?!" Rory scowled. Anxiety took the best of her while she waited alone.

"I'm not late. I'm strangely on time. Taylor is not even up yet. And I don't recall ever getting here before giving the man at least a one hour head start on his ramblings," Lorelai replied. "So, did you ensure you'll have your spotlight in the meeting?"

"Not exactly", Rory bit her lip. "But I already have a backup plan. We just have to be a little more patient..."

"Oh no! To survive an entire meeting without prescribed pills I'll need food and a large coffee." Lorelai looked through the door, staring at the diner on the other side of the street.

"Don't even think about leaving now. You may have special treatment at Luke's, but there is no way you'll get your order before the meeting begins and Taylor is already onto me. I don't want him to think we are messing with him."

Lorelai sighed and crossed her arms like a spoiled kid who heard the word 'no' for the first time. She was still pouting when Taylor listed the items on the agenda for the night, but suddenly she dropped the attitude, grabbed her phone and started to write a text message. Rory could only imagine what was so urgent.

Half an hour later, Luke entered the room with two bags to Lorelai. "Don't get used to it. The diner has no delivery service and I'm not UberEATS. This is only for Rory", he muttered.

The scene made Taylor stop his long speech about the new requirements for fences in town. "Food is not allowed in here, young man." He addressed to Luke.

"It is not food. Lorelai forgot her notepad and she wants to write down all this useful information you are sharing today," Luke scorned, giving Taylor an angry smile.

The girls's eyes shifted from one man to the other, doing the best to look innocent and control the urge to dig in their meals, in order to sustain the lie.

"It sure looks like and smells like food to me." Taylor acused.

"And you definitely look like and talk like a lunatic to me... Still you are the one in charge of this town" Luke stormed out, turning to the door and heading back to the diner. Taylor blinked for a moment and recomposed himself, going back to the issue of the fences.

Doose's voice started to sound like a lullaby after the girls were well-fed and comfortably seated on their chairs. Shamessly, they dozed off for the rest of the meeting, leaning on each other. Almost one hour had passed by when Taylor wrapped up the discussion and dismissed all the people present. Mother and daughter jerked awake with everyone standing up, ready to leave. Rory could swear the old man did this on purpose, just to get back at them.

Despite the foggy head, Lorelai was able to think fast and block the exit to give Rory time to get her grip.

First, Rory tried to be polite. "Guys, if you can just be quiet for a moment. It will only take a minute. I have something to tell." No one listened to her and the crowd buzz was getting louder.

Afraid of losing momentum, Rory got off her chest the bossy tone she developed during her time working as editor of The Yale Daily News. "HEY!" Now a deep silence took over the room. All eyes fixed on the town prodigy. Stars Hollow never saw this side of the girl.

"You went lurking outside my house, broadcasted about our life and even gambled. It's time to hear me," Rory examined their faces for consent and kept going. "I am the one with child, Taylor." She paused to think how she just sounded like a dramatic soap opera character. "I'm not getting married any time soon, reverend Archie!" She stared at the priest. "The father of the baby doesn't live here, okay Miss Patty!" The girl turned to the dance teacher. "And Kirk, you will pay me 30% of your profits with the bets!" The guy gulped and nodded in fear by her demand. "Any questions?" She lashed out.

After a brief hush, Babbete was the only one with courage enough to raise her voice in the quiet room. "This means you are back, sugar?"

Rory soothed her expression and took a minute to really look at the faces around her. Instead of judgement, she saw herself surrounded by hopeful sparkling eyes. Even Taylor's.

Moved, the young journalist answered gently. "Yes... I'm back!" Not mad at the question for the first time.

The response came as a cheerful group celebration. "YAYYYYY!" And all the previous tension in the room vanished.

Rory jumped, caught by surprise. She smiled back, speechless, and accepted many warm hugs and happy taps on her shoulders. But it didn't stop there. Babette offered to babysit, Morey guaranteed free piano lessons, Miss Patty promised to teach the baby girl or boy to be a great dancer (or just more coordinated than Rory) and Kirk ensured the first job for the kid (no matter how uncertain his future career would be).

Taylor was the only person a bit annoying. The man had the nerve to ask if the baby could replace the mother as the face of his candy shop. "You are getting old, you know?! It's not really good for the business," he looked down on Rory. Yet, one unpleasant comment wasn't going to kill the mood today. Not when everybody else showed so much support, ecstatic to be again part of her life.

Suddenly, Rory was secretaly embarrassed by how she's been despising her hometown. Like it was a synonym of failure. Truth is she couldn't remember when Stars Hollow started to be associated with that negative idea. The great Norman Mailer was an enthusiastic of the small town in Conneticut and even became a regular at the Dragonfly Inn, driving Sookie insane because he would only order iced teas the whole afternoon. Then why Rory Gilmore was better?

She never hated that place. It was exactly the opposite, her struggle in the first year of college was because she loved it too much and didn't know how it could fit in with her big career aspirations. But the quirky people, silly festivals and quiet movie nights were a huge part of who she was. Denying that so hard sent her down a path she wasn't too proud.

Embraced by that familiar comunitty of weirdos, Rory rested her case, admitting to herself: _That's me, Rory Gilmore, Yale graduate, journalist, aspiring writer, just a girl from a small town... And I am finally back home._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is Stars Hollow's first reaction about the baby. The town will back off... for a while. Leave a review and tell what do you think Rory is going to do with her carrer from now on. Do you think she still can be successful? PS: I promise something about the dad next chapter =D


	6. Close Encounters of the Third Kind

"Are you sure you don't want to call him?" Lorelai questioned a very distracted Rory, who was looking out the car window. Christmas was in less than a week and trees on the side of the road were covered with a magical dusting of snow. She would prefer to enjoy the view and not engage in this conversation. It was the gazillionth time her mother asked this since the news about the pregnancy. The subject, of course, would be one of today's topics, on the way to another doctor's appointment in Hartford. Especially because it was finally time for the baby's first ultrasound.

Rory's answer remained the same. "No. I already told you. After I got the test results, I wrote him an email and explained the situation. This way he'll have time to process and think without pressure. He'll say something when he is ready."

Lorelai insisted. "But emails can get lost."

"I am sure he got the message. I sent it to his personal account, which is linked to his phone. And I also sent an email to his private assistant just asking to make sure he checks the inbox. This sistem always worked before," Rory confessed, watching the road to avoid eye contact with her mother. "I won't call because I don't want him to think I am asking him to come to my rescue. Whatever he decides it's not about me."

"Well, It is about you too." Her mother remarked.

"You know what I mean. This decision must be about the baby. Whether or not he wants to be a father. Not about we getting back together."

"Right. Because he has a fiancé." Lorelai muttered.

 _One I never asked him to leave,_ Rory thought. This was a part of her recent actions she wasn't ready yet to admit out loud. Or talk about it with her mother and confront the real issue. Having an affair was wrong, yet forgivable, if she at least could justify she was still madly in love. But that was not the case.

Truth is the 'Vegas agreement' was all she wanted. That's why she never felt the urge to push Logan into ending his engagement. Technically, she was also in a relationship with poor Paul - despite forgetting the guy existed when she didn't need a body to warm her bed in New York. Now, what does it say about the kind of person she has become?

Rory was feeling lost and the Huntzberger heir has always been a good companion to be lost with. So, when they met again years earlier and her life was nothing like expected, Rory grasped at him to escape reality and cushion the fall as she crashed. Logan would allow her to be reckless again, to live without thinking of the consequences, to be rootless or whatever. No judgement at all. However, at some point, it was time to wake up and face real life - especially when his fiancé moved in.

It's true they loved each other once. Rory would never deny this. The young Huntzberger stole her heart and challenged her to be more confident. But she knew, in the long run, it didn't fit anymore. She didn't belong to the world where Logan and his family lived.

In the past, Rory changed a lot to get into the inner circle of high society. Bit by bit, she buried big pieces of the girl who was raised by her crazy and independent mother Lorelai. Too high a price to pay. Logan didn't exactly ask for it. But she did it alone - conscious or not.

That's why Rory finally pulled the plug on their so-called relationship after the last adventure with The Life and Death Brigade. Saying goodbye was really hard. They sure had a lot of history together, but every ride has to end. Otherwise, Rory would be stuck in the same place forever.

The plot twist of the last reunion wasn't in her plans. But life is like that: simply unpredictable. For a moment, Rory considered not telling Logan about the baby at all. She didn't want to give false hopes of reigniting a romance, especially because she could complicate everything going back to old habits in a lonely day. It was impossible to forget the mess she experienced many times from Christopher and Lorelai, very often getting hurt in the middle. She didn't want to repeat the pattern.

But Luke's example gave another perspective on things. Rory remembered how the man managed to be a present and loving dad to April without confusing things with his ex-girlfriend Ana Nardini. There were some bumps on the road at the beginning with Lorelai, but everything worked out in time. Now, living under the same roof, she'd got a chance to see father and daughter on the phone at least two times a week. He was even texting, against April's protests - and Rory encouraged him not to stop (just go easy on the emojis), because she knew the gesture was appreciated underneath the college girl facade.

The soon-to-be mother expected she and Logan could do the same. Rory really wanted him to be involved with his future son or daughter. So she put all her writing skills into summarizing the message in a short email. It started with the obvious consequences of their last and final rendevouz in September, the father's identity and the decision to keep the baby. The text also assured he was welcome to participate in the life of the child, if he wanted to do so. However, she made clear that: A) their relationship would be as parents, not lovers; and B) the baby would not be part of the dynastic plan of the Huntzberger family. The email was sent over a month ago. There was no answer yet.

Lorelai tried to give Rory some space to think, but they were only halfway to Hartford and it was impossible for her to keep quiet another 15 minutes. So she started the conversation again.

"Since you were roomies in London, please, could you fill me in and explain how Logan ended up in England? Last time I heard about the guy, he lost his trust fund in a bad investment and swore he was leaving daddy's business to pursue something on his own in San Francisco."

"He worked there for one year and he didn't get a promotion he was hoping for. So, he took a risk and quit to join a startup company, but the business went down in seven months. He tried another job after this. Small place, low salary. Almost a semester. That's when Mitchum called to make amends, whatever this means in that family. Next, things were arranged and Logan was back to the Huntzberger empire."

"Low salary, huh?" Lorelai said in a judging tone. "I wonder why a guy fresh out of college would expect more than a crappy paycheck to start. Hello! Is he above the rest of the ordinary mortals?"

"It is not that simple," Rory tried to defend.

"Well, I can't say it is a surprise. It is easy to say you want to be free of the hypocrisy and formalities of Richie Rich's world, but is completely different paying the price to do so."

"Mom..." Rory sighed. But her objection, in fact, had nothing to do with Logan. It was understandable he would give in for his family's money. He never knew another kind of life. Rory, on the other hand, had the example of her mother working hard to pay the bills and making her way up from the bottom. Yet, she also chose the easy path to the top.

Rory rejected the full time position offered by the small website she was hired to cover Obama's campaign because she thought it was beneath her. Then she turned to freelance journalism and got a few bylines in great publications, but it wasn't enough to pay the bills in the expensive New York - even if the rent was in Brooklyn.

Instead of getting a steady job in less prestigious newsrooms to make a living while looking for better opportunities, the young journalist simply relied on the trust fund set up by her great grandmother, Lorelai the First, and her grandparents.

At first, $250.000 may seem a lot of money to spend. But against seven years with no regular paycheck, almost $ 2.000 rent per month, internet and phone bills, food expenses, transportation, occasional travelling, new clothes... Well, you do the math. And Rory wasn't exactly saving bucks. So, in the end, even her car was sold to cover her bank account, before she came back completely broke to Stars Hollow.

Rory didn't wanna face it before, but she acted exactly like the trust fund kids she used to make fun in Chilton. A younger - and surprisingly wiser - Rory would never believe this.

Mother and daughter drove the rest of the way in silence. Lorelai turned the engine off and the sound broke Rory out of her guilt trance. It was time to focus on happy things and she was actually excited for the ultrasound. Of course, it wouldn't be possible to see much more than two inches of an awkward form, but there was already a head on a tiny body and a strong heartbeat by the end of the first trimester - as she discovered in a previous search on Google.

The girls entered the doctor's office without saying a word to each other. After informing the receptionist about the appointment, they found two seats in the waiting room. Rory was inspecting the modern decoration of the place when, suddenly, became really awared of her surroundings. It seemed like all the happy couples in Connecticut chose the same day to visit the doctor.

Even though Rory was comfortable with the idea of being a single mom, the image of a traditional family sometimes struck her. The hormones certainly didn't help the situation and this was one of those days the future mom was truly emotional. The first clue was how she cried at breakfast because Luke drew a smiley face with strawberries on top of her pancakes.

Lorelai caught the sad look on Rory's face and decided to finish the undeclared cold war they started in the car. On a whim, she held her hand, squeezed and didn't let go. It was enough to calm Rory. One thing she knew for sure: there was no one she wanted here more than her mother.

"Lorelai Gilmore?" The doctor's assistant finally called, waiting by the door. Mother and daughter stood up together when they heard the name. By the simple reflex, Rory realized this was going to be a complete new journey for both Gilmore girls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Probably I'll get some hate for this chapter, but I watched two interviews with Alexis Bledel and she was incisive about Rory and Logan's thing in the revival: it's less about romance and more evidence of how lost Rory was with life in general. I agree. For me, there's no other way to explain many bad decisions (including carrer-wise). Hope you understand it is not my intention bashing Logan (or any of Rory's exes for that matter). I have a journey for Rory in my mind. And I'm trying to show Rory's taking responsabilities for her actions, even though she just admitted it to herself for now - but it is a first step. Review and tell what's your opinion about Rory's life
> 
> PS: Rory's trust fund is mentioned in season 1 and season 6 of the original series. It kicks in when she is 25 years old.


End file.
